Selective signaling apparatus.



PATENTED OUT. 24-, 1905.

E. A. REYNOLDS. SELECTIVE SIGNALING APPARATUS,

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 19, 1904.

EGBERT A. REYNOLDS, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR TO IRON TELE- PHONE OOMPANY, OF NEWV YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF SOUTH DAKOTA.

SELECTIVE SIGNALING APPARATUS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 24:, 1905.

Application filed August 19, 1904. Serial No. 221,362.

To all, whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EGBERT A. RnYNoLDs, a citizen of the United States of America, and a resident of New York city, county, and State, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Selective Signaling Apparatus, of which the following is a specification, referencebeing had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part thereof.

My invention relates to selective signaling apparatus, and particularly to calling devices adapted for use in party-line telephone systems.

My invention consists in the employment of a plurality of generators ofdilferent frequencies and a plurality of polarized ringers in circuit therewith, certain of the ringers being connected to the generators through the positive wire of the main circuit and other of the ringers being connected through the negative wire of the main circuit. The ringer is of the character known as harmonic, the flexible clapper thereof being tuned to respond only to current undulations of the required frequency. In order to simplify apparatus of this character, I have devised a ringer which may be readily andquickly adjusted to respond to current undulations of different frequencies, so that the same bell by a mere matter of adjustment may harmonize with any one of the generators employed. To this end I have provided an adjustable slide or stifiening-piece which engages the flexible clapper and which when adjusted will harmonically adjust the same. By this means I not only provide a standard bell which may be employed throughout the selective ringing system by a mere matter of adjustment, but also provide means for properly taking care of the slight adjustment sometimes necessary to properly harmonize a ringer with its generator.

I will now proceed to describe an apparatus and system embodying my invention and will then point out the novel features in claims.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a diagrammatic view showing circuits illustrating a selective ringingsystemembodyingmyinvention. Fig. 2 is aview in front elevation of a ringer constructed in accordance with my invention. Fig. 3 is a sectional View thereof, taken upon the plane of the line 3 3 of Fig. 2.

In Fig. 1 I have simplified the circuit as much as possible in order to illustrate more clearly the portion included in my invention, omitting the switches, plugs, jacks, visual signals, and main source of current for the telephone-line and other details, as will be Well understood.

The sign designates the positive wire of a telephone-line and the sign the negative or return wire.

1, 2, 3, and 4 designate, respectively, four telephone instruments bridged across the line in the ordinary party-line systems. Each tele phone set includes a ringer 5, the ringers of the telephone sets 1 and 3 being shown as connected to the line on the positive side of the instruments and the ringers in connection with the sets 2 and 1 being shown as connected to the line on the negative side of the instruments. The opposite sides of the ringers are connected with ground or common return, as at 20. Each ringer comprises coils 6, a polarized armature 7, pivoted at 8, a flexible clapper 9, carried thereby, and bells 10 upon opposite sides of the clapperhead. Each ringer is also provided with a stationary guide 11, upon which is mounted an adjustable slide 12, longitudinally movable thereon and arranged to be secured in its adjusted position by set-screws 13. This slide or stiffeningpiece has a slotted or recessed portion 14, which receives the shank of the clapper 9. Adjustment of the slide 12 toward and away from the pivot 8 will harmonically adjust the clapper, so that it will respond to current undulations through the coils 6 of different frequencies.

At the central or calling station I provide a plurality of generators 15, 16, 17, and 18. These generators are marked 2,000, 4,000, 6,000, anc 8,000, respectively, and may be considered as having frequencies represented by the numbers shown. On one side the generators are connected by a common return to ground at 19, and on the other side the generators are connected to contactstrips 21, insulated from each other. Two sets of contacts 22 and 23 are arranged for each contact-strip, the contacts 22 being arranged in multiple with aconductor 24, leading to the wire of the telephone-line, and the contacts 23 in multiple with a conductor 25, leading to the wire. Suitable keys 26 are provided for closing contact between the contact-strips 21 and their respective contacts 22 23. The ringers of the telephone telephone sets may be employed, the ringers of the sets Nos. 5 and 6 being harmonized with the generator 17 and the ringers of the sets Nos. 7 and 8 with the generator 18. Closing of the contact 22 at the extreme left of the central apparatus with the contactspring 21 contiguous thereto will now close circuit starting from generator 15, through contact-spring 21 and contact 22, to the conductor 2a, to the wire and will operate the ringer of set I, returning through the ground 20 thereof to the ground 19 and back to the generator. The ringers of the other telephone sets will not respond thereto, because they will either be out of harmony therewith or will be out of circuit, the ringers for the sets having the even numbers being in circuit only with the or return wire of the line. To ring the signal of telephone No. I,

it will be necessary to press the fourth key 26, when circuit will be effected as follows: from the generator 16 to its contact-spring 21, contact 23, contiguous thereto, conductor 25, and wire to the ringer 5 of the tele phone set 4, from thence to ground 20 and back through ground 19 to generator 16.

By my system and apparatus it will be seen that I have provided a simple selective signaling apparatus for an eight-party line, the ringers being of one standard, but adjustable in order to respond only to the signals intended for them.

hat I claim is 1. In a signaling device, the combination with a clapper comprising a flexible and a substantially rigid portion, a support for the flexible portion, and adjustable means for steadying the clapper engaging same at varying points along its rigid portion,'to adjust same to respond to vibratory impulses of different frequencies, and means for vibrating the clapper.

2. In a signaling device, the combination with a flexible clapper, a support for one end thereof, and means for vibrating the clapper by rocking it upon its support, of adjustable means for steadying the clapper at varying points away from its point of support, arranged in its adjustment to tune the same to respond to vibratory impulses of different rates.

3. In a signaling device, the combination with a flexible clapper, an armature secured thereto at one end, and a support for the clapper at the end at which the armature is secured, of adjustable means for engaging the clapper at different points between its point of support and its free end, and electromagnetic means for vibrating the clapper.

4. In a signaling device, the combination with an electromagnet, an armature therefor, a flexible clapper secured to the armature, a slide for loosely engaging and steadying the said clapper intermediate its length, a guideway for said .slide, and means for adjusting said slide along said guideway.

5. A signaling device comprising an electromagnet, an armature and a flexible clapper secured together and extending in diflerent directions from a common point of support, a pivotal support for said armature and flexible clapper, and adjustable means for engaging the clapper at difierent points intermediate its length. i

6. A signaling device comprising electromagnetic coils, a polarized armature pivotally mounted between said coils, a flexible clapper extending from said armature and carried thereby, and adjustable means for engaging the clapper at different points intermediate its length.

7. In a signaling device, the combination with a plurality of generators having different frequencies, of a plurality of signaling devices each comprising an electromagnet, a

flexible clapper, an armature secured thereto at one end, a support for the clapper at the end at which the armature is secured, and adjustable means for steadying the clapper at various points away from its point of support, arranged in its adjustment to tune the clapper to respond to different ones of the several generators at will.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand this 15th day of August, 1904:.

EGBERT A. REYNOLDS.

WVitnesses:

' FRANK B. VERMILYA,

D. A; REYNOLDS. 

